It’s a good week for charity gigs and a good week for Daniel Kitson fans too. Kitson’s most recent theatre piece, Analog.Ue, had good reviews but not the usual ecstatic reviews last year. Maybe some people were wishing they could see him at his stand-up best. Well they should try to snaffle a ticket for the Palace Theatre tonight (Monday) or King’s Place on Thursday where he will be MCing benefit gigs. The first one is for Centrepoint and the line-up includes Stewart Lee, Aisling Bea, Joe Lycett, Josh Widdicombe, Katherine Ryan, Sara Pascoe and Tony Law. The second one is for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and boasts Nick Mohammed, Sheeps, Rhys James and Sarah Millican. If neither of those gigs grab you then I’m not sure why you are bothering to read Beyond The Joke.

Elsewhere there are plenty more great gigs to choose from. Rising star Angela Barnes brings her Edinburgh show to Soho from Tueday. We asked Barnes some rarely asked questions and you can read her answers here. Robert Newman is at the Leicester Square Theatre, also from Tuesday, with his New Theory of Evolution. Here is a review of this show from last year – it is probably not the funniest show this week, but it is unquestionably the brainiest. If you are going it is advisable to take a pen and pad and make notes. There is always plenty to think about afterwards when you see Robert Newman.